Echoes of a Forgotten Life
by TheSmilingMask
Summary: When Izuku discovers he has a Quirk, his life seems to improve! With the help of his Quirk and a new friend, he's more than ever ready to become a hero, but when a deadly disease threatens to take away his mother from him, Izuku makes a decision to save her that will change his life forever, and nobody will be able to stop him. AU!Postponed canon - Quirk!Izuku - Neutral!Izuku.
1. Observe and Copy

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**

**ECHOES OF A FORGOTTEN LIFE**

**CHAPTER ONE: OBSERVE AND COPY**

_15th October 2189_

_Sometimes I wonder when it appeared. How was everything before that moment? Was I happy? Did I have a normal life? Every time I think about it, nothing comes to mind. I don't remember anything. Maybe if I had known it would end up like this, I'd have started writing on this diary from the first moment. _

_It's too late for that._

_All I can do is keep writing in the hope of not forgetting this day, but I'm not too confident._

_Dusty just told me we're about to get to the designated point. I don't know when I'll be able to write again. I just hope I don't forget about this diary._

_It wouldn't be the first time..._

* * *

23rd September 2175

Four children were playing in the middle of a playground, or at least that was the impression someone passing by could have had. Since it was a quiet neighborhood, there were no adults to control the children, so no one had noticed that three of those children were trying to drive away the fourth.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to come here!" shouted Katsuki Bakugo, pushing his peer with both hands, making him fall to the ground "A useless Deku like you should just go home!"

Despite the tears that had formed on the edge of his eyes, Izuku Midoriya stood up "B-but Kacchan...!"

Katsuki glared at him before he took a step forward and hit Izuku with a wide right hook, followed by a punch to the stomach before finishing with a fist to the face where he also used his Quirk to create a small explosion at the moment of the impact that served to make Izuku fall to the ground again. Such attacks would never cause problems for older people, and probably even many of their peers would have managed to dodge them. Katsuki wasn't very fast, even Izuku could see his attacks, but he simply couldn't defend himself. He wasn't only Quirkless, for which he was constantly being bullied and ridiculed by others, but Izuku was weaker than others, as he was still just a child.

"Tch...you're really a Deku. You can't even take a few hits without falling to the ground!" spat Katsuki before walking away with the other two children, leaving Izuku alone.

Sobbing, Izuku sat up and rubbed his eyes. For some reason his vision was more clouded than usual, even counting the tears "Stupid...stupid Kacchan!" slowly he stood up holding a hand on his stomach where Katsuki had hit him "He's always like this...I just wish we were friends again!"

Now that the pain had dulled, Izuku wiped his eyes with the edge of the shirt, wiping off the soot caused by Katsuki's explosion.

"Every time he pushes me away and hits me..." Izuku looked in front of him, imagining himself facing Katsuki, and his body moved on its own.

Wide right hook.

Left uppercut to the stomach.

Right jab to the face, slightly open hand to release the most of the explosion.

Izuku froze as soon as he realized what he had just done.

"Huh...?" he looked at his own hands "What...how did I do it?" shaking his head, Izuku tried again to make that short combo of punches and, although he had never punched anyone (he had only received punches after all), he succeeded again, without wasting even one movement.

"How is it possible? I saw him doing the same moves many times but I didn't think I learned them so well..." mumbled Izuku looking around. He was alone, so no one had noticed what he had just done.

"Maybe I'm wrong...after all I've really seen those moves a lot of times. Mom said that if I do or see something many times in the end it remains in my mind, or so she explained to me how she learned to cook..." scratching the back of head, Izuku walked away from the playground, heading for his home.

When Izuku opened the door of the house, a pleasant aroma greeted him, making him understand that his mother had already started to cook. Entering the kitchen, he saw her with an apron on while adding some herbs into a pan.

"Oh welcome home, honey!" said Inko looking at him with a warm smile "Dinner will be ready soon, so go wash your hands!"

"Yes, mom." Izuku nodded with a smile before going to the bathroom. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the kitchen and saw Inko move the pan with firm movements, giving at the end a slightly stronger flick with her wrist. The vegetables and the pieces of meat inside the pan remained in midair for a moment before falling back into it, without letting even a drop of oil fall out.

_Wow, she's really good._ Izuku couldn't help but think that his mother was really good at cooking, not surprisingly since she had been a famous chef before retiring in order to raise her son.

Suddenly, the house phone began to ring and Inko went to answer, asking Izuku to set the table. He put the tablecloth and the plates, hearing his mother talk to a friend in the other room, but then Izuku began to smell something unpleasant in the air, something slightly burned.

_Ah! Mom didn't turn off the gas!_ Izuku could see the blue flames under the pan and he knew well that the hot oil would burn the food in a few seconds if left there. Normally, a child would go to call his mother to warn her or turn off the gas. Izuku was smart enough to know what to do in some situations, yet he didn't do either of the those options. Instead, he moved a chair near the kitchenette and climbed onto it. The pan was made with one of those new lightweight and durable materials created in recent years, so Izuku had no problem lifting it with one hand after grabbing the handle.

_I don't know if it will work, but I have to try!_ Izuku thought with a nervous look before moving the pan, but he didn't move it in a random way.

He managed to repeat the same movements that Inko had done a few moments before, including the flick of the wrist.

Izuku's surprise was so great that he almost dropped everything on the ground, but at last moment he managed to recover and repeat the same movements as if he had repeated them for years.

_A-amazing! It feels so natural to me!_ Izuku was incredulous yet very happy with what he was doing. He had seen his mother cook many times and had also helped her, albeit with simple things like washing vegetables, but he had never been able to do things like Inko, and yet now he could do something like this as if it were normal for him.

In spite of his joy, he managed to hear Inko say goodbye to her friend on the phone, and so he hurried off his chair and put it back. The last thing he wanted was to be scolded by his mom for handling a pan with hot oil inside.

"Here, a good dinner for you, honey." said Inko, serving the food in two dishes. The smell was still present in the air, yet she had found nothing strange. Fortunately nothing had gone burned, she had a bad habit of distracting herself when someone called and, despite her experience as a chef, sometimes she still burned dishes.

"Thank you mom!" Izuku began to eat quickly with a wide smile on his face, intriguing his mother.

"You look very happy." noted Inko with a smile, it was so nice to see him smile again "Did something nice happen?"

"Yeah!"

"And can you tell me what?"

"It's a secret!" said Izuku making her giggle.

"Is that so? As long as it makes you happy, it's fine with me." Inko smiled again at her son while eating some food. Since that doctor had said that Izuku was Quirkless, she had never seen him smile as before. Maybe now he was smiling for a stupid reason or for something important, but the important thing was that he was happy.

While Inko was thinking back to what had happened in recent weeks, Izuku had his mind focused on something else.

_Could this be...could this be my Quirk?! _Those words kept repeating in his mind and prompted him to finish his dinner quickly so he could run into his room, where he immediately turned on the small television that Inko had bought him.

_I need to be sure!_ Izuku began to zap between the various channels _The only thing I know is that I can copy the movements of the others, I have to see what else I can do! Maybe now that I have a Quirk I can become a hero!_

Finally he found a show that was right for him, or at least to help him understand more about his alleged Quirk. It was a simple show for children directed by the 'Clown Hero', a hero who didn't fight crime but always made the children laugh in orphanages, hospitals and so on. The hero picked up a ball and started to throw it into the air, spinning it, until it landed on his head. The ball was perfectly stable on his head as the clown looked around, wondering where the ball had gone.

The children present at the show laughed to see him look for the ball that was above his head but Izuku was happy for another reason, namely the ball (obviously an All Might themed ball) that was perfectly stable on his head, just like the one on the head of the clown.

_I can really do it! My body moves to keep the ball in balance!_ Izuku put the ball down while the clown talked to the children about his next game _And I can even copy people's movements on television! I wonder if it also works with recorded videos or images._

Wanting to immediately resolve these doubts, Izuku took one of the many comics of All Might that he possessed and began to reread them with extreme care, but realized after a few pages that, despite being able to remember every page by heart, he couldn't memorize the moves of All Might shown in the comic book.

_So...I can remember the pages, but I can't copy the moves because they are just drawings._ Izuku thought while putting the comic book back into the drawer, yet remembering the various pages as if he were still reading them. His attention returned to Clown Hero's show and he saw him intent to perform a simple magic trick in which, by crushing some coins in his hands, he made them disappear before pulling them out of the children's ears.

Izuku took some coins from his personal piggy bank and tried to repeat the magic game but, much to his surprise, realized that he couldn't repeat it. Simply, whenever he crushed the coins, they remained in his hands.

"But I saw it..." Izuku murmured looking back at the television "Did I see badly? Or...didn't I see it all?"

Being a trick of magic, it was obvious that there was some 'trick' to make it happen, but Izuku didn't know what it was and he hadn't noticed when the hero had done it. Izuku tried again to look at the clown who was doing a trick with some cards but, as with the coins, he couldn't copy or repeat it.

_So I have to see the complete movement to copy it._ Izuku nodded at that, after all he had only copied the blows of Katsuki, which weren't fast and were rather simple, the technique with the pan of Inko, which was close to him and almost steady, and finally the first trick with the ball of the clown, where there was no trick but only pure balance.

_I wonder what else I can copy!_

And so Izuku kept zapping through the various channels, copying everything he could.

* * *

24th September 2175

Humming serenely, Inko put two eggs on a plate, before placing a side of crispy bacon. Nodding contentedly at the breakfast, she filled a glass with orange juice, Izuku's favorite, and placed it on the table next to the plate.

"Honey! Breakfast is ready!" said Inko, expecting to hear the bedroom door open in a few seconds, yet after a full minute, she heard nothing. Confused by the silence, Inko tried to call her son again, but received no answer.

"Strange...maybe he is still sleeping. Yet at this time he is always awake." shrugging, Inko went to his room and turned the door handle "Honey? Are you still slee-AAAAH!"

Inko jumped back a little when she saw her son kneeling in front of his television. Normally, such a scene shouldn't have frightened her, even with all the objects scattered in his room, but Izuku's eyes were wide open, as big as plates and bloodshot, so it was a valid reason to be frightened.

"Izuku?!" Inko walked toward him with clear concern in her voice "What are you doing?! Don't tell me you've been watching TV all night?!"

Instead of answering her right away, Izuku turned slowly towards his mother, showing her his eye bags, and smiled "Mom...I...have...a Quirk!" and with that, he collapsed to the ground. Inko winced and was immediately close to him to see if he was ill, but all she understood was that Izuku had fallen asleep instantly and his breathing was already regular.

Shaking her head, Inko couldn't suppress a sigh "What's got into him?" but then she thought back to the few words he had said "A Quirk...? Honey...do you really have a Quirk?"

All she could do was put Izuku in his bed and let him sleep, but what caught her attention most of all was the huge smile with which he had fallen asleep.

* * *

25th September 2175

Inko stared worriedly at her son as he ate a large breakfast after sleeping for twenty-four hours. She had had to call the kindergarten the day before to warn that Izuku was sick and that he would stay at home for a few days. Obviously it was a lie, but a fairly credible one. Going back to the reason for her concern, her son had woken up that morning and his stomach had immediately started to grumble, but Inko had made him find breakfast ready as a good mother would have done.

"Honey..." Izuku looked at his mother "We need to talk." those words were enough to stop her son from continuing to eat but, despite his worried look, she went on "You made me worry a lot in the last two days...you spent a whole sleepless night watching TV before sleeping twenty-four hours in a row and now you're eating as much as two adults put together. I don't know what happened so Izuku, please tell me what's going on."

Izuku had been scolded a few times by his mother, so he knew what she was using in those moments, but Inko seemed simply worried about him, without a trace of anger in her voice. Swallowing the food in his mouth, Izuku decided to immediately tell her the good news and so, with a huge smile, he stood on the chair "Mom! I have a Quirk!"

In all honesty, Inko had thought about his words over and over again, wondering if it was true, but seeing Izuku so happy and confident was a surprise anyway. Wanting to believe Izuku's words, Inko smiled shyly at him "That's fantastic, honey! So which Quirk would you have? Did you inherit mine or your father's?"

"Neither of them!" said Izuku with the smile still on his face "I can copy everything I see! Every movement that others do, I can copy it and repeat it without missing anything!"

Inko stared at him for a few seconds with confused eyes before tilting her head slightly to the right "Huh...?"

Imagining that it was difficult to understand without an example, Izuku ran to his room and returned with a ball. When he was sure he had his mother's attention, he began to spin the ball on the tip of a finger, surprising Inko with his skill, before throwing the ball into the air and landing it on his head, repeating perfectly Clown Hero's trick that he had copied the previous evening.

After that, he started bouncing the ball on the ground, passing it between his legs like a basketball professional before making a vertical worthy of the best gymnasts. Soon after, much to Inko's surprise, he began to dance like a professional dancer and despite being a child, Inko couldn't help but be shocked by those movements.

Finally, Izuku stopped to catch his breath "See? I can copy almost everything! I have a Quirk!"

Moments of silence followed his words and, when he began to worry, Inko suddenly hugged him and started twirling around the room "That's amazing honey! You really have a Quirk!" after letting him go, she looked at her son with a smile on her face "Later we will go to the hospital to register your Quirk!"

Izuku's face lit up "Yes! With this I can become a hero!"

Still smiling, Inko stroked his head "I'm sure you'll make it, honey. Now finish your breakfast!"

"Okay mom!"

Without being told twice, Izuku finished eating before going to dress. As soon as they left the house, the child seemed to be flying towards their car, anxious to know more about his Quirk and to have it registered like everyone else. The journey lasted just twenty minutes, but to Izuku they seemed many more and finally, after a brief wait in the hospital, they were greeted by a doctor who had already received his medical file "Ms Midoriya, right?" Inko nodded with a small smile "I see that here on his file, your son is marked as Quirkless, but I was told that you are here to correct that part. Is that correct?"

"Yes." Inko nodded again "Apparently his Quirk manifested the other day. My son was so excited that he used it all night, and he slept all day yesterday to recover."

The doctor chuckled "Well I think the thrill of finally having a Quirk filled him with energy. Now, what kind of Quirk did he show?"

Inko looked at her son who beamed at the doctor "I can copy all the movements I see!"

The doctor arched an eyebrow "Copy all the movements?"

"Yes, I can confirm it. My son has performed dance steps worthy of a dancer after seeing them on TV, and has made movements worthy of the best basketball player without ever having played that sport." explained Inko still smiling "From what he understands, he can copy a person's movements to the letter as long as he sees them well. Images are not valid while old movies can be copied anyway."

"I see..." the doctor nodded before pulling out a coin "I haven't done it for a long time, but I should still be able to. Izuku, please look at what I do." after a few seconds, he tossed the coin into the air, which rolled several times before falling flat on the tip of his right forefinger "Now, do you think you can do this?"

Izuku nodded and took the coin from the doctor's hand. After a deep breath, he tossed the coin into the air in the same way as the doctor and, much to his amusement, the coin fell flat on the tip of Izuku's index finger.

"Very impressive. Now, for another test..." he took two sheets of paper with two pens and used one to write some words in Japanese and English on one of the two sheets, all under the watchful eye of Izuku, after which the doctor gave him the second white paper and the other pen "If you can, try rewriting the same things I wrote."

Izuku nodded and took the pen in his hand before starting to write. Much to Inko's surprise, he managed to perfectly copy the doctor's calligraphy, both with Japanese and English. Nodding, the doctor wrote something on papers and then asked Izuku to follow him to another room, suitable for more physical tests.

For over two hours, the doctor subjected Izuku to various tests, from simple balancing exercises to more complex things such as playing a piano they had in the relax area of the hospital. When the last test was completed, the doctor brought Izuku and Inko back to the room where he had met them with a satisfied smile.

"So, after all these tests, I think I have compiled an almost complete description of your son's Quirk, Ms Midoriya." said the doctor before looking at Izuku, who was visibly tired but still happy "Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes please!" nodded Izuku with his mother nodding as well.

"So, as Izuku had already guessed, he can copy a person's movements to the letter after seeing them even once. No matter the difficulty level, if Izuku can see everything, he can copy it, be it a simple exercise in gymnastics or a complicated piece with a musical instrument." said the doctor with Izuku smiling at his words "It also seems that his eyes also memorize everything he sees, outside of the movements, such as a series of images, the exact order of over a hundred numbers placed in random order and much more. It also seems that his reaction times are much higher than the average. When I threw a rubber ball at him, he managed to avoid it instantly, while during the second attempt he caught it with one hand."

Both Izuku and Inko were pleasantly surprised to discover all these things about his Quirk, which was turning out to be full of surprises.

"Now, on the negative side, Izuku obviously cannot copy what is done by people with bodies different from his own, such as those who have a mutant-type Quirk, but also by those who have a body bigger than him. During the exercise with the pianoforte, Izuku could perfectly repeat the musical pieces that didn't require the use of pedals, unreachable for him because of his stature, or of keys particularly distant from each other." the doctor looked again at the duo "Furthermore, being that he is still a child, repeating certain exercises tires him quickly since he doesn't have a trained body to do that particular exercises."

"Your Quirk is particularly complex, honey." said Inko with a smile before looking back at the doctor "Do you already have a name for his Quirk in mind?"

"More or less. Cases like this have already appeared in the past, even before the Quirks appeared, but I think that 'Photographic Memory' can be a suitable name for your son's Quirk." said the doctor with a smile.

After completing the necessary documents and updating Izuku's status, the Midoriyas returned home happy, with Izuku looking forward to showing his Quirk to Katsuki, so they could be friends again.

Little did he know, that Bakugo's reaction to his Quirk would change Izuku's life forever.

* * *

28th September 2175

"Kacchan! Kacchan!" shouted Izuku running toward the blonde child in the playground.

"What the hell do you want Deku? Get lost!" snarled Katsuki narrowing his eyes but, strangely enough, Izuku didn't back away or whimper, instead he continued to smile at him.

"I have a Quirk, Kacchan!"

That caught the attention of Katsuki and his two friends, who stared at him in surprise.

"Really?" asked Katsuki with a raised eyebrow "So which Quirk do you have? Inko's?"

"Nope! It's a new one! I can copy your movements!" said Izuku with a huge smile "I've already copied a lot of things! Here, look!" and, under the surprised eyes of the other three children, he began to dance like a first-class dancer before starting to do gymnastic exercises worthy of an Olympic athlete "See?! I copied them!"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes "That's it...? You're just a copycat?"

Izuku looked at him with a shocked face "But...Kacchan..."

"For a moment I thought it was something surprising, instead you can just copy the others!" noted the child with a pair of wings on his back.

"Yeah...I don't even think it's a hero Quirk, you're practically stealing the movements of others." said the other one, pointing at Izuku with an elongated finger "More like the Quirk of a villain!"

Those words hit Izuku stronger than an explosion of Katsuki. He was stealing...? True, copying wasn't a good thing but he wasn't hurting anyone at the end "T-That's not true! I will become a hero! Like All Might!"

"Yeah, sure." growled Katsuki before pushing him back "What do you want to do?! Copy his moves and become famous with those?! Which hero would copy others! You're just a copycat!" he then started walking to get away from Izuku with the other two by his side "And don't try to get close to me! My moves will make me the best hero ever and I don't want them copied by someone with a villain Quirk like you!"

Izuku stood in the middle of the playground for several minutes, continuing to look ahead without seeing anything. Slowly, his vision began to blur as his body was shaken by small spasms "I-It's not t-true...mine is not a v-villain Q-Quirk!" Izuku tried to stop the tears that were already running down his cheeks, but without success "I-I'll be a hero! L-Like A-All Might!"

Now alone and without friends, Izuku turned around and walked towards his house, cursing for the first time the fact of having a Quirk.

* * *

26th May 2180

Izuku looked at the dojo sign with attentive eyes. It was a relatively new dojo, only open two years ago and not too far from his home, yet there were a lot of people who frequented it. From what he had understood, this dojo had moved from central Tokyo due to private problems, but this hadn't discouraged the older students.

"Ready to go, honey?" asked Inko with a small smile, looking down at her son who merely nodded.

Izuku had changed a lot in the last five years, much to his mother's sadness. He spent much less time outside, preferring to watch movies of heroes and villains on the computer or on TV, copying their movements and then repeating them in the rare moments when he went out to 'train'. One day, when he was at school, Inko had tried to read one of the notebooks on which he wrote about everything, and she had seen that they were notes on all the techniques he had copied. She had often seen him at home with bruises or knuckles stained with blood and, when she had followed him into a small woodland, she had seen that he spent all his time hitting a tree with fists and kicks, imitating everyone he had copied.

Inko had tried to talk to him about his behavior but, apart from a series of 'I'm sorry' by her son, she had received no response. She also noted that, over time, Izuku seemed less enthusiastic about his Quirk, while still using it. It was as if he were happy to have it but at the same time he hated it.

She had thought something had happened in the days after he had discovered his Quirk, and indeed something had really happened with Katsuki, the son of her best friend, Mitsuki. Apparently Katsuki had started to avoid and dismiss Izuku at every available opportunity, also warning everyone else of his villain Quirk.

That particular comment had earned him an exemplary punishment from Mitsuki.

Despite having discovered the cause of Izuku's change, Inko had failed to help her son as she would have liked and that had made her feel sick several times, until she had decided to find him a hobby that kept him busy and distracted him from his obsession to copy others.

At first he tried something like Shogi and Chess, but Izuku turned out to be too smart for those games, managing to predict the tactics used by his opponents, that is, other children. Complaints from other parents had forced Inko to remove Izuku from those courses.

After thinking of a solution that could help her son, Inko had decided to enroll him in a dojo. Mitsuki had expressed her uncertainty with that idea, as Izuku could copy the movements of others, including the dojo master, without difficulty, but Inko was fine with that. Going to a dojo, Izuku could let off steam without having to hit something hard like a tree. Sure, he'd still use his Quirk, but it was little progress, and she really hoped to see a smile on Izuku's face again.

"You must be the Midoriyas, am I right?" immediately after entering, mother and son had heard a calm male voice to their right and, turning in that direction, they saw a muscular man with short orange hair and golden eyes, wearing a white gi and a black belt. His broad smile was serene and, although he was much taller than Inko, he didn't seem to inspire any kind of fear, on the contrary his presence was almost reassuring.

"Ah...yes, I'm Inko Midoriya, and this is my son, Izuku." said the woman with a bow, mimicked by her son.

"I was waiting for you!" nodded the man bowing as well "My name's Hanzo Kendo and I'm the dojo master! On the phone, you talked to my wife, Sakura Kendo, but she is currently teaching a self-defense class for girls. I'll conduct the interview with you." and with that, he gestured toward a room. Entering the room, they saw that it was a modest size office with a display case full of trophies and medals, some photos hanging on the walls, a wooden desk with an armchair on one side and three chairs on the other, two of which were then occupied by Inko and Izuku, while Hanzo went to sit in the armchair.

"So, my wife told me that you would like to enroll your son in a course in this dojo." said Hanzo without losing his smile "Can I know why and what expectations you have about this dojo and any courses?"

"Well...my son developed his Quirk a few months later than his peers. When Izuku showed it to them, the reaction wasn't exactly positive and therefore he started spending more time indoors than outside." said Inko with Izuku looking at the floor "I tried to find him a hobby that could help him think about something else and in the end I thought that enroll him for something where his Quirk could help him would be a good idea. I read a lot of news about your dojo, everyone talks about it in a positive way so I thought it would be a great place to enroll him."

Hanzo nodded at her "I understand, actually many children tend to isolate themselves when they are not accepted by their playmates." he looked at Izuku "Now, may I know what your Quirk is?"

Izuku looked at him for a second before mumbling something in a low voice.

The man arched an eyebrow "I'm afraid you'll have to repeat that kid, because I didn't understand what you said."

"P-Photographic M-Memory...I can copy the movements of others a-after seeing them only once..."

Hanzo seemed confused by his voice and so he looked at Inko who sighed "When he showed it to the other children they called it a villain Quirk, so now he is ashamed to say what he is capable of."

"Ah...I see." the man nodded before smiling at Izuku "Well no problem, kid! If your Quirk is so efficient then you will have no trouble reaching those who started before you. For now, it will be better to get you a gi while I finish talking to your mother." he then pressed a button on the small intercom mounted on the desk "Can my beautiful and sweet daughter come to my office? I have an important task for my favorite ginger-head!"

Izuku and Inko heard laughter outside the room followed by the sound of someone running towards them. Soon after, the door was thrown open abruptly and a little girl with orange hair came in with her face completely red "Dad! I told you to stop calling me that way!"

"And why should a father ever stop showing his love for his daughter?" chuckled Hanzo before looking at Inko "This is my lovely daughter, Itsuka. She started martial arts two years ago and is the number one in her class!" ruffling his daughter's long hair, he gave her a smile "Itsuka, could you accompany Izuku to the warehouse and get him a gi? A normal one will suffice."

Itsuka seemed to pout for a moment but finally nodded before taking Izuku by the hand and leaving the room, all while the green-haired child had his face red with embarrassment. _She's holding my hand!_

When the door closed, Hanzo chuckled cheerfully "I'm pretty sure they'll become good friends, they should be the same age."

Inko smiled as well "I really hope so, my son would really need some friends."

Hanzo looked at her while arching an eyebrow "Is it really that bad?"

"Unfortunately yes, when his friends hadn't yet developed their Quirks they often played with him, but when he was the only one left without a Quirk them they left him alone and he never managed to recover." explained Inko with a sigh "I was hoping his Quirk could help him in some way but it seems to have made things worse."

"I see...well you don't have to worry anymore, Ms Midoriya. Our goal, as sensei, is to help our disciples better in martial arts but at the same time we are here to help them with their problems. I'm sure that if he lets us help him, Izuku will soon return to being a cheerful child like everyone else." said Hanzo with a confident smile.

"It would be the best thing for him." Inko smiled before bowing "I'm leaving him in you care then."

Meanwhile, Izuku and Itsuka had arrived in the warehouse, which was none other than a room full of boxes and shelves full of stuff, including several gi for the dojo's disciples. Releasing Izuku's hand, Itsuka set about looking for something in the midst of the various gi.

"U-Um..."

She looked back at Izuku, who seemed to want to ask her something "Yes?"

"Err...y-your father said that a normal gi will b-be fine, what did he mean?"

"Oh that's simple." she smiled before picking up a gi with four arms "We have different gi suitable for everyone and if we don't have it, we have it made by a tailor nearby, but for you a classic gi like mine will suffice."

"I...I see..."

After putting down the gi, Itsuka saw that Izuku seemed particularly demoralized or discouraged, so she walked toward him "Hey, is everything all right?"

"Y-Yes...I mean...not really..." said Izuku looking at her "It's just that you probably won't talk to me again after today."

Itsuka stared at him with confused eyes "What do you mean? Why should I never talk to you again? You don't look like a bad person to me."

"It's...it's my Quirk..."

"What about your Quirk?"

"I...I...I can copy your movements after seeing them..." said Izuku with closed eyes, waiting for the usual disgusted or angry comment about his villain Quirk. However, after several seconds, he heard nothing from Itsuka and, opening his eyes, saw that she hadn't changed her expression, continuing to look at him with confused eyes.

"And...?"

"U-Uh...?!"

"What should be the problem? You can copy the others, so what? This should help you with martial arts, right?" asked Itsuka tilting her head to the side.

"B-But...I could immediately do what you learned after months! It would be like cheating!" said Izuku with shocked eyes.

Hearing his explanation, Itsuka giggled for a few seconds before telling him to stand next to some big mattresses on the floor, with his back to the mattresses. After putting herself in front of him, she stared at him amused "You said you can copy my moves, right?" he nodded "Good, then copy this."

Without waiting, she took a pose and threw a fist forward with her right arm, holding her arm out, while the left was bent at her side. Izuku looked at her confused but did as requested and, without difficulty, copied her move, punching ahead of him. Between the two children there were a few centimeters away, but Itsuka's right fist suddenly grew larger, surprising Izuku who, caught off guard, failed to react in time and fell backwards, ending up on the mattress.

Her fist returned to normal size and Itsuka helped him to his feet with a smile on her lips "See? My Quirk gives me a big advantage over others and yet there are several tournaments that admit the use of Quirks. Just because you can copy my moves doesn't mean that I'm angry with you. As my father always says, you always have to improve yourself to become a master, and I wouldn't be his daughter if I let myself be discouraged by someone who can copy me." Izuku could only nod, surprised by her words "Besides, if you can copy my moves it means that I will have someone at my level to fight with!"

After a short laugh, she held out a hand "So...friends?"

Unconsciously, Izuku began to cry, surprising Itsuka with his reaction, but without thinking twice, he shook her hand with a trembling smile "F-Friends!"

* * *

23th March 2185

"Hi-ya!" a punch passed by his head, thanks to his timing in avoiding it, before he grabbed the offending arm with both hands and, turning on himself, he loaded his opponent on his back before projecting them to the ground, causing their back to slam into the tatami.

"Enough!" said a powerful male voice, belonging to Hanzo who was watching the fight from the sideline while sitting on his knees. He started at the two fighters for a moment before smiling "A good fight, the winner is Izuku!"

Bowing toward his sensei, Izuku smiled at him before turning toward his opponent, offering a hand "Looks like it's my win."

"Again." huffed Itsuka before grabbing his hand. Once back on her feet, they both bowed before leaving the area designated for the fights, going to sit with the other disciples. Looking at her friend, the orange-haired girl said "One day I will be able to beat you."

"Training is for that, isn't it?" replied Izuku with a smile.

Since he started attending that dojo, Izuku had changed a lot, especially physically. He was no longer thin and fragile, now his body was tempered by years of intensive exercises and training, giving him a more muscular appearance. In the last period he had also passed Itsuka in height but, being only fourteen, he could grow even more. Another change had taken place in his personality and, although he was still shy and hesitant with some strangers, he could finally speak for most of the time without stuttering and had become much more confident.

Those changes had also occurred thanks to the help of Itsuka, his new best friend, and her parents, who had taught him everything they could during his stay in their dojo. Itsuka had also become stronger thanks to him and their constant sparring matches which, unfortunately for her, always ended in Izuku's favor. This 'rivalry' of theirs had made them two of the strongest disciples of the dojo, allowing them to win some city tournaments.

Moreover, when he had the time, Izuku had got into the habit of going to challenge other dojos for the sheer pleasure of fighting against other people, and also copying their moves in the meantime. Over the years, Izuku returned to appreciate his Quirk, continuing to call it a power suited to a hero and always training with the moves he had copied so as to make them a part of himself. Now, after five years of training with Itsuka, Izuku was more than sure to sign up for the UA admission exam.

"Of course, even if I would really like to defeat you at least once." joked Itsuka with a smile.

After the end of the lesson, everyone thanked their sensei as usual before going to change clothes in the locker room. Izuku exchanged a few words with some disciples, people whose names he didn't even remember but who were still his training partners, before going out and heading towards the exit of the dojo, where he saw Itsuka waiting for him.

"Want to go to the station together? My father told me that I can go because he's waiting for old friends and then he'll close later." said Itsuka with a smile. Izuku nodded and the two went toward the train station, but after a few meters, to his ears came a voice he hadn't heard for several months.

"Ohi Copycat!" turning around, Izuku saw Katsuki walking towards him with his usual frown and with him there were...were...strange, no matter how hard he tried, Izuku couldn't remember the names of the two boys who had been by Katsuki's side since they were children, and his strong point should have been memory of all things.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Going home after copying more moves from this dojo?"

"Mind your own business, Bakugo." said Itsuka with narrowed eyes. After meeting Izuku and spending time with him, she had the misfortune of meeting the bully who had tormented Izuku for most of her life. Needless to say, she and Katsuki had hated each other from the first moment.

"Fuck you, hand-bitch!" growled Katsuki "Why don't you go back to your shitty dojo?"

"Care to repeat that? To my fists maybe?" replied Itsuka enlarging one of her hands before being stopped by Izuku who put a hand on her shoulder.

"Leave him alone, it's not worth it." said Izuku before looking at his former friend "What do yo want Bakugo?"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes "I have heard that you would be interested in taking the fake-test to be admitted to the UA..."

"So what?" replied Izuku without looking away from Katsuki.

"If what I heard is true...I'd tell you to change your mind immediately and think about something else. I will be the only student in our pathetic school to enter the UA, and they would never accept someone with a Quirk like yours." hissed Katsuki generating small explosions in the right hand.

"Said the one with a Quirk as dangerous as it was deadly." said Itsuka with a glare before turning around, dragging Izuku with her "Do yourself a favor Bakugo! If you want to see a possible villain, look in the mirror!"

Katsuki was on the verge of exploding, literally, but by now the two had disappeared in the middle of the crowd and, even though he knew where they were going, he didn't want to follow them. They weren't worth his time.

_Fucking bitch. I will blast you away the next time I see you!_ Katsuki glared at the crowd for a moment before walking away with his friends at his side.

Meanwhile, Izuku and Itsuka had arrived at the train station and had already calmed down after their unfortunate encounter with the explosive blonde. During the last few years they had had many 'clashes' with him, but they had never come to beat themselves, especially since Izuku and Itsuka, being official dojo athletes, couldn't cause brawls. The risk of being expelled for life from tournaments was always around the corner and they didn't want to risk it.

"I swear that if I see him for the AU exam, I'll tell him a few more words." said Itsuka while sipping some of his canned coffee. It wasn't as good as the one just made, but it was better than nothing.

"I don't know why, but it would be an interesting scene." added Izuku with a chuckle before walking toward his train "Time for me to go, I'll see you tomorrow at the dojo!"

"Sure, say hello to Inko for me! Haven't seen her in a while!" said Itsuka with a smile before walking away, toward her own train.

Izuku's journey back home lasted only a few minutes but the sun had long since set and when he reached the door of his apartment, he wasn't surprised to see all the lights out. Entering silently, he looked around to accustom his eyes to the darkness and, much to his confusion, saw his mother asleep on the couch.

_Strange...she never slept on the couch. _Walking towards her, he noticed that there was an open envelope on the living room table with a letter on the floor. Curiosity took over and, slowly, he pulled up the letter, immediately noticing from a few signs that it was a letter from the hospital. He then began to read it after going to his room and turning on the light.

What he discovered in those lines deprived him of all his strength.

_A disease that infects blood and bones...and she's been sick for years?! _He continued reading, discovering that the disease, one of the few remaining incurable diseases, was slowly killing his mother and that a lot of money would be needed to cure her. More money than he could have imagined. His legs gave way and he was forced to sit in his chair to try to think clearly, ignoring the panic he was trying to burst inside him.

_She kept it from me...but why?_ Instinctively, he turned on his computer and quickly connected to their bank's site. As feared, their money wasn't even enough to cover half the costs for the care needed to make her survive and, if what was written in the letter was true, it wasn't even a definitive cure, but an extension of life while keeping the disease under control. His world slowly began to collapse around him as the chilling idea of a life without his mother formed in his mind.

_NO!_ Izuku shook his head violently. _There must be a way to find that money! I could find a part time job to start but then...? If I were to enter UA it would take at least three years before becoming a pro and having a sufficient salary to pay the costs for the hospital...but by then mom may no longer be alive..._

Swallowing, he started typing some things on his computer to access the biggest of his secrets: the dark web. In recent years, Izuku had also begun to get interested in computer technology so as to be able to find videos on the internet of heroes and villains that were now hard to find. Finally, after several months, he had managed to find a way to enter the dark web by remaining anonymous and untraceable. In that state he could look at several things, many of which had made him vomit, without being contacted or tracked by anyone.

_There are several ways to earn a lot of money...but they are all obviously illegal...and I doubt that my limited edition gadgets of All Might could interest anyone._

Going to different sections where it was plausible that a lot of money went around, Izuku visibly turned pale in reading offers on slaves, hired killers, organ sales and the like. Eventually he reached a section similar to online auctions where, however, they sold and bought everything, including information apparently. Slowly he began to scroll down the long list of requests.

_**KyserXXX**: Ohi any of you know where Death Arms lives? That bastard destroyed my bike before I could run away with money and I want to make him pay for it!_

_**MuscusOfJapan**: Does anyone know how to create a deadly poisonous laxative? I think Fat Gum should die after tasting one of my specialties!_

_**CrocCroc**: I'm looking for comrades for a group assault on Ryukyu! If we can defeat her before she transforms, we could have some fun with that magnificent body! Uhuhuh!_

Izuku was perplexed in reading some of those requests. They were obviously villains asking for those things, but some seemed so...trivial and senseless.

_**GreySharkWhale**: I need information on Selkie and his crew. I am preparing a robbery at the port, but in order to escape I have to pass through the area patrolled by that hateful hero._

That particular request caught Izuku's attention and, when he went to see the money offered for the info, he was shocked to see the zeros. It wasn't enough to cover Inko's medical expenses, but they were certainly a start, and judging by what _GreySharkWhale_ was willing to offer for simple information, the robbery he had in mind had to be something big.

For an instant, he considered the offer but then moved away from the keyboard, horrified by what he was about to do. Shaking his head, he tried to suppress the nausea that was growing inside him and went into the kitchen to drink a glass of water.

His hands were shaking and he didn't know what to do. Who could he call? Who could he ask for help? All Might? His office received hundreds of letters a day and the number one hero in Japan was very charitable, so maybe he could help his mother too. But how likely was it that All Might also read his letter and decided to take action? Izuku couldn't bet on something he wasn't sure of.

Silently, he returned to the living room and put the letter back where he had found it before looking at his mother. Thanks to the kitchen light, he noticed a darker patch on her sleeve and under her head, probably due to the tears she had shed before his arrival. Something inside him snapped when he saw Inko so helpless and the risk of losing her because of an illness did nothing but suppress all his doubts.

He knelt by her side and kissed her on the forehead before whispering "I'm sorry, mom, for never noticing that you were sick. I...I don't want to lose you and I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. Maybe I will never be able to become a hero...but I will save you, I promise you." getting to his feet, he went to get a blanket before putting it on Inko to keep her warm, then returned to his room and closed the door.

Every step that brought him closer to his computer seemed heavier than the last, but Izuku had already decided. Twenty minutes later, he was in front of a pop-up window for his official registration to the dark web, which would have guaranteed him greater advantages than a simple anonymous guest. Strangely enough, they hadn't asked for personal data, but if he wanted to do business with others it was necessary to have a bank account and, much to his surprise, they were willing to provide him with a new one, as long as five percent of all his earnings went to the bank account managers. He had read information about those managers and, strange as it may seem, the management of those bank accounts was more honest and secure than those that could be opened in a normal bank.

After a few seconds, he accepted the request and was given bank details along with some rules, including the fact that he could access that bank account only from protected computers and mobile phones. Finally, it was time to choose a nickname and Izuku had no trouble giving them a quick and not at all sophisticated name.

He sighed heavily once the realization of what he was about to do was completely processed by his mind.

_To think that one of my favorite hobbies would help me right now..._

Without further hesitation, he clicked on the request he had read before.

_**GreySharkWhale**: I need information on Selkie and his crew. I am preparing a robbery at the port, but in order to escape I have to pass through the area patrolled by that hateful hero._

_._

_._

_._

_**D**: What do you want to know?_

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

* * *

**And another one! BANG! I know I know, in this last period I'm turning out too many different stories...I admit it, but I can't help it! Some ideas are too tasty to leave them there and not write them down! This one in particular had been in my mind for quite a while and, not having the inspiration for the others, I decided to give it a chance!**

**Those of you who are more experienced in Marvel characters will have already figured out who I was inspired by for the Izuku Quirk, and if someone less experienced meant that it's an OP Quirk, they would be right but in the next chapters you will see one of its most big flaws (already mentioned in this first chapter)! ****Also, I wasn't sure about the current year in the MHA universe, so I decided to set the story about one hundred and sixty years into the future.**

**I really hope this story will interest you and that you will follow it in the next chapters!**

**See you around!**


	2. Learn and Fight

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**

**ECHOES OF A FORGOTTEN LIFE**

**CHAPTER TWO: LEARN AND FIGHT**

_19th October 2189_

_If there is one thing I always appreciate, it's that moment of peace and calm that is always repeated before and after a job: the time to check my equipment._

_My blades, my guns, my armor...I want everything to always be ready. My clients want the best, and I'm the one who always delivers only the best._

_However, there is one thing that always stops me, forcing me to think for a few seconds every time I see it._

_My mask._

_Every time I see it, every time I clean it from blood stains, every time I feel it in contact with my skin after polishing it, every time I wonder how it has become not only a mask, but my true identity._

_I often wonder how it ended up in my hands and every time, something in my head leads me to think I received it years ago... _

_When I wasn't yet who I am today._

* * *

23rd September 2185

The last bell of the day was heard in the air as the various students of the Aldera Junior High put the books in their schoolbags and walked towards the main gate, talking about different things such as going to the game room, going home to study and things like that.

A mop of green hair moved quickly through the crowd to get out of school as soon as possible, managing not to collide with anyone. Green eyes moved to the right and left, identifying any obstacles before avoiding them without even slowing down, as if everything went in slow motion.

Izuku finally put his feet out of the school floor and started running in a certain direction, ignoring the trio of people walking ahead of him. One of those people, a classmate of his, noticed him coming towards them and grinned "Hey it's the Copycat! I wonder where he is going so fast!"

The green-haired boy didn't seem to hear his words, while another student answered the first "Eh! He's probably going to copy someone, or maybe he's running to his mommy to-!"

BOOM!

Despite the noise, the explosion from the left hand of Katsuki only served to scare the boy who was talking, who paled further when he saw the grim look of the blonde. Growling at his stupid classmate, Katsuki then looked forward, as Izuku had just passed them without stopping "Hey! Copycat!"

A quick glance confirmed that in front of him, for several meters, there were no obstacles of any kind, so Izuku turned to look at his former friend, obviously continuing to run. When he saw that he had his attention, Katsuki spoke again but in a louder voice, without losing the frown from his face "Say hello to Auntie Inko for me!"

Izuku nodded once before walking away, fading quickly to their sight. The student who had been on the wrong side of one of Katsuki's explosions looked at his friend with confused eyes, while the blond continued to walk, regardless of being alone.

"What the hell just happened? I thought those two hated each other."

The other student shook his head "Man, I understand that you are in another class but you should have more tact. Midoriya's mother was rushed to hospital three months ago, and she is a great friend of Bakugo's mother, so much so that Bakugo himself regards her as an aunt."

His friend paled upon hearing those words "So I..."

"You pretty much disrespected someone important to Bakugo."

"Great...I hope he doesn't hold too much grudge." shaking his head, the short haired student then added "Hey do you think that Copycat's mother has his same villain Quirk or-?" he stopped in mid-sentence when he saw his friend turn pale like a ghost and take several steps away.

"Hey."

A sudden shiver ran down his spine and, turning very slowly, he saw that Katsuki was behind him and his red eyes seemed to dig two holes in his skull. Katsuki leaned slightly forward, until his mouth was close to the other student's ear and, without even trying to sound threatening, he said "You're dead meat." and with that, he walked away while the student fell to the ground on his back.

Elongated fingers gave him light pats on the shoulder "You know...if I were you, I'd change school..."

The unfortunate boy who had ended up on Katsuki's Shit List could only nod, hoping that no one would notice the darker patch between his legs.

While all this was happening, Izuku had already boarded the bus that would take him to the hospital, where he would then spend all the time available with his mother. For three months she had been locked in the same room, too weak to walk alone because of her bones, and the few times she went out accompanied by some nurse she had to constantly have IV drips in her arm to receive the necessary nutrients for her body.

Sitting next to a window, Izuku pulled out an All Might-themed MP3 and put on his headphones before looking out. That had been his mother's gift for his fifteenth birthday, and although she was in the hospital, Inko had asked her dear friend Mitsuki to go buy some wrapping paper so she could make him the present. That day Izuku had failed to hold back his tears, for several reasons.

While the first was the most obvious and natural, and that is that he was moved by the gesture of his mother, who though was ill always thought of her son, the second was linked to something more obscure and terrible: the fact that he was helping the villains.

Six months ago, when he had just created his dark web account, Izuku had passed information about Selkie to a villain who was planning a port robbery. The information of Izuku had been all too exhaustive, given that a few days later the aforementioned hero's hospitalization was announced due to a villain attack. Izuku had been sick for three whole days and, although the most correct part of his mind kept telling him to stop and never do something like that again, the money he had received for his information (completely ignoring the thanks from the villain) was enough to silence that voice.

He could help his mother, he could pay for her care! Despite his joy, however, Izuku had not made false steps and so, when his mother had finally decided to talk to him about his illness, since it was now no use trying to hide it, he had proposed to find a part-time job to help her with the medical expenses. His mother didn't seem to agree, saying that a job would obstruct his school life, but Izuku had finally managed to convince Inko and so he, for six months now, was 'officially' a shop assistant in a twenty-four-hour shop in his neighborhood. Obviously Izuku had asked the store manager to create an alibi for him, so as not to worry his mother and the man, luckily for him, had consented.

In the following months, while her mother was hospitalized to better follow the progress of her illness, Izuku had continued to do illegal jobs so he could make some money. A detailed list of Ingenium's team for a criminal gang that committed highway thefts, tricks to perfect the Quirk of two criminals who were about to carry out a robbery in the area controlled by Hawks, even advice on where to hide the property stolen by foreign villains.

Each job had ended in success, and each success had brought with it more money.

Izuku had been on the brink to get out of the loop and be done with it, but the money was always needed and now there were also those who sought out him specifically to ask him for some information. A fairly witty villain had even asked him if he knew All Might's weak points. Izuku had obviously answered no, also because he would never have said anything too precise about All Might; that was a line he had no intention of crossing.

At one point Izuku had also wondered if the heroes or the police had access to the dark web like him, however one of his account managers had assured him that those people could not enter their circle thanks to almost perfect security measures.

_That 'almost' still worries me now._ His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and Izuku pulled it out, noticing the message sender with impassive eyes. _Speaking of the devil..._

_**Operator**: The money has been successfully paid into your bank account. As usual, five percent of the total amount was subtracted in order to continue using your account._

_Ah yes...my last job. __Select the members of a villain gang for a robbery inside a villa belonging to some rich man. _Izuku rubbed the bridge of his nose. _Seriously, these guys can't even work alone...maybe I should start saying no to certain requests. At least if the money has arrived it means that the plan has been successful._

The braking of the bus shook him from his thoughts and, waving to the driver, went down to the hospital before entering, going straight to the reception. The brown-haired nurse behind the counter looked up and smiled at the young student "Hello Midoriya. Your mother is awake, you can go to her whenever you want."

Izuku smiled back "Thank you, Shizune-san."

A short elevator ride later and Izuku was on the fourth floor of the hospital, where all those with rare or very serious illnesses were hospitalized, like his mother. Walking fast, he reached the room 423 and slowly opened the door, looking immediately for his mother's face with his eyes.

She was there, sitting against the back of the bed with pillows behind her back to make her feel more comfortable as she looked out the window, the only way she had left to be able to savor the outside world on a regular basis. Because of medical care and the diet introduced by the doctors, she had lost a few kilos and was slowly returning to being the thin woman she had been when Izuku was still very young, even though he would have preferred to see her lose weight by going to the gym and not because of a disease.

"Mom?"

She immediately turned to the door and showed her son a warm smile "Hello honey, how was your day?"

He smiled back at her and sat down next to the bed before pulling an apple out of his briefcase and starting to peel it "It was fine. The professor reminded us that we are third-years now and that we should think about our future, specifically the high school in which we want to enroll."

Inko's smile grew smaller as she looked at the white covers of her bed before returning to look at her son "Izuku-!"

"Mom." she stopped her with just one word, smiling at her "I've already made my decision. I will not enroll in any school to become a hero. It would take me too long and I want to help you first of all, otherwise I couldn't be worthy of becoming a hero. A simple high school will be fine, so I can continue with my part time job. Okaji-san was kind enough to increase my salary to reward my efforts, and he's worried about you too." he handed her the apple slices in a saucer "Oh, Bakugo told me to tell you he says 'Hi'."

Inko took the saucer with a small smile "Thank you, I hope to see him again one day."

Her son nodded absentmindedly before noticing the bouquet of flowers on the cabinet beside the bed "Itsuka?"

"Itsuka." nodded Inko with a smile "A friend of hers has parents who run a flower shop, so she decided to bring me this bouquet. I really hope that one day you will come and see me together with her, I would like to talk to my future daughter-in-law with you."

Izuku instantly blushed "Mom!"

"What? I am your mother after all, talking about certain things is my right." replied Inko with a little amused grin.

"She's just my best friend, nothing more!"

"Sure sure, best friend. Nothing more." giggled Inko, eating a slice of apple.

"You'll never let this go, will you?"

His only answer was a pleased smile.

Shaking his head, Izuku then began to chat with his mother about the upcoming school exams, how he lived on his own (here he had to be very careful talking about his diet, to avoid waking up the more ferocious side of Inko) and other things. Two hours seemed to fly into that room so bright and Izuku allowed himself to relax a little when he heard his mother's laughter but unfortunately, like all good things, even their time together had reached its end and that's when a doctor entered the room after knocking twice, telling Izuku that the time for the visits was over.

Sighing, Izuku stood up and kissed Inko's forehead "I'll see you tomorrow, mom."

She nodded and after telling him, for the umpteenth time, to be careful on the way home, she let him go while the doctor stayed in the room to talk to her about any progress with her treatment.

Leaving the hospital, Izuku took a deep breath before heading home. Normally he would take the bus again, but he wanted to think a little, he also had to go through the shop where he 'worked' to buy some ready-made meals. As much as he was able to cook, that kind of products had become an integral part of his diet but he didn't have the courage to tell his mother. The consequences would have been tragic, only for him of course.

After half an hour of walking, he arrived in front of the small shop and entered from the main entrance, greeting the boy behind the counter "Hey Haimawari, how are you doing?"

"Oh Midoriya! I'm fine thanks. And you? Coming back from the hospital?"

Izuku nodded as he took a basket and filled it with some soft drinks, ready meals lunchboxes and a few sweets, and then approached the cash desk and exchanged a few words with the boy a little older than him.

Haimawati Koichi was a good guy in his book. Both were fans of All Might and Izuku had seen him several times while helping people in the neighborhood. He wasn't a pro-hero, although Koichi had confided to Izuku that it was his dream, yet the green-haired boy had the impression that his friend was involved in something...but he couldn't say what.

After a few minutes, Izuku said goodbye to his friend and left, coming home when it was time for dinner. Throwing the schoolbag on the sofa, he took one of the ready-made meals with a drink from the nylon bag and went to his room, turning on the computer. A series of passwords later and he was back in the dark web, but not in the section where he had become 'famous', but in the part where he could buy different things, even living people. Fortunately for him, there were filters for his search.

_I need an armor. Someone even asked me to meet in person. The money they offered was few compared to other offers, but the day will come when I will have to meet my client. _Izuku clicked on some offers. Bullet-proof vests, riot armors, gas masks. There was really everything, even weapons, but he still didn't care about those. After putting everything he needed in the cart, he confirmed the order and paid through his bank account. It was a lot of money, but surely that equipment would have served him.

Concluded the deal, Izuku went to look for some videos of heroes and villains as they fought to see if he could copy some new moves and, having found some, he put them in a play-list and began to analyze them one by one eating calmly. Izuku thus spent his evening, until it was time to go to sleep. The weekend had just started so he could afford to sleep a few more hours, even though he already knew he would be awakened by a message inherent to his recent order.

Before snuggling under the covers of his bed, Izuku gave a quick clean to the floor of the house and took out the garbage, as his mother had taught him, after which he slipped peacefully into a dreamless sleep.

As expected, at six o'clock in the morning his cell phone started ringing, signaling to him the arrival of a message, and Izuku succeeded only in the third attempt to grab the small device before taking it in front of his face.

_**Operator**__: Your order is ready to be shipped. Please turn on the location marker._

_**D**: All right, give me a second._

Groaning, Izuku got up from the bed and opened a drawer in his bedside table, pulling out a small black metal disk with a button in the center. That little object was one of the 'gadgets' that Izuku had received a few days after creating his account. He didn't know how they sent it, he simply found that disk on his bed when he got home from school. It was a simple device that signaled the position to anyone looking for it, obviously the dark web managers in this case, but communicated coordinates so precise that the error in the measurements was less than a millimeter.

Going into the living room, Izuku placed it on the floor and pressed the button, which began to glow red. A few seconds later, a dark blue circular portal opened above the device and a large cardboard box came out of it. The portal closed immediately afterwards and the box fell over the disk, pressing the button again, thus deactivating it.

Whenever I see it, I am always surprised. Izuku had already ordered something in the past few months, such as DVDs of old martial arts movies, so rare as to be impossible to find in the normal web, yet he was always shocked to see the Quirk of one of the dark web workers, nicknamed Amazon. Apparently, Amazon could ship items anywhere in the world, but they needed to know the arrival coordinates and they had to be absolutely accurate.

Lifting the box, Izuku took it to his room and opened it, starting to pull out the contents. The first thing he took was a metal mask that covered the lower part of his face and also served as a respirator. From what he had seen, there was an oxygen reserve of only ten minutes but Izuku hoped he would never find himself in a situation so desperate as to have to use it for so long. Placing the mask on the bed, he then pulled out a bulletproof vest. It was made of Kevlar fiber and apparently there were plates more resistant over the chest. It looked almost like a black short-sleeved shirt thanks to various advances in technology and was also more flexible than the old vests used by the police.

Izuku put on the bulletproof vest and tried to move around the room doing different movements, until he was satisfied with the feeling he had in wearing that stuff. _It cost me a lot of money, but it's worth it._ After removing it, he took out from the box a pair of black combat boots, reinforced with metal plates, which reached his knees, protected by special integrated knee pads. He also wore those and tried to throw some kicks to make sure his movements weren't too limited but he was pleasantly satisfied to see that they didn't slow him down in any way.

_And now, for the final touch._

Placing his hands in the box, Izuku removed the last item he had purchased: a pair of black gauntlets with a metal plates that protected him up to the elbows, but their little secrets were two hidden blades located in a compartment in the forearms, from which they could be released with a certain movement of the wrist. Izuku had bought them with the idea of using those blades together with his techniques where he struck using the palms of his hands. Obviously the idea of killing someone had never crossed his mind, but he knew that a blade in the right place could have stopped an adult man without killing him.

Satisfied with his purchases, Izuku looked out of the window for a moment. _It's already morning, I could go out for a jog._ His eyes, however, shifted to his new equipment. It was a stupid idea, he was aware of it, but it was still early and there were few people around, besides he needed to get used to that stuff before it was too late. Promising to kick himself when he returned home, Izuku put on his bulletproof vest, a dark sweatshirt over it and a pair of black sweatpants, then fitted his boots, gauntlets and mask, completing everything with sunglasses and the sweatshirt hood.

A few minutes later, Izuku was jogging in one of the most deserted streets of the neighborhood which, luckily for him, was not very populated. From time to time he increased his speed even trying to jump and roll to get used to his new equipment and mentally thanked his mother more than once for enrolling him in that dojo, otherwise he would never have been able to increase his stamina up to those levels.

His moment of calm and serenity, however, was abruptly interrupted when a male voice sounded behind him "You with the hood! Stop right there!"

Izuku stopped without thinking before turning to the origin of the voice and was surprised to see Koichi, wearing a tracksuit, next to a taller boy with short blue hair and what looked like engine exhausts coming out of his elbows. For some strange reason, the sight of those strange elbows made him stiffen, as if he had already seen them somewhere.

"What are you doing?" asked the blue-haired boy with a serious face while Koichi looked at him with confused eyes.

"Um...I'm jogging?" _Way to go Izuku, excellent answer. Not at all obvious and above all believable when you're dressed like this!_

The other boy arched an eyebrow "And you go jogging...dressed like that?"

"U-Um...Iida-san, maybe he's training for something...?" asked Koichi but Izuku completely ignored the other boy's answer because that surname had triggered a series of alarms in his mind.

_Iida? Like...Iida Family?! One of the most famous Japanese hero families?! If he really is a member of that family he must be Iida Tensei, the eldest son of the current head of the family, also known as the Turbo Hero: Ingenium! As far as I know he's the only one to have mufflers on the elbows among the various heroes of that family._ Izuku swallowed hard. _I'm really in trouble, he's one of the fastest heroes in Japan. If I tried to escape he would reach me in a few seconds..._

"...and this is why he can not be a simple person intent on jogging." said Tensei chopping the air toward Koichi who merely nodded with a sweatdrop. The pro-hero then looked back at Izuku, who had taken a few steps back to approach a narrow alley "Now, show me your identity card and follow me to the nearest police station."

Izuku found himself, against his will, facing a very important and uncomfortable choice. He could go with Ingenium, lose his gear and end up in a juvenile prison, covering his mother with shame without being able to see her for a long time, or he could try to escape, end up on a pro-hero's blacklist and see his mother smile again the next day.

His mother's smile was what made him make a decision and, after a deep breath, Izuku vanished from their sight with a burst of speed, succeeding in entering the alley where there were some garbage bins full of bags.

Tensei was momentarily surprised by his speed but recovered quickly and used his Quirk to run faster towards the alley, entering in turn. The first thing he looked for was the form of Izuku but, not seeing him, the pro-hero instinctively looked up and was again surprised to see the hooded figure almost at the top of a fire escape.

_He must have some kind of Quirk that gives him more agility, but it won't work with me!_

Using his Quirk again, Tensei managed to jump on the palace wall before jumping again toward to Izuku but he was already at the top of the fire escapes and, instead of running away, Izuku jumped right against Ingenium, surprising the older boy. Rotating in mid-air, Izuku managed to sit on Tensei's shoulders, crossing his legs behind the pro-hero's neck, effectively stopping them in mid-air, but he didn't stand still for more than a second and, letting himself go backwards, managed to throw Tensei inside a rubbish bin using only his legs.

The bags full of garbage dampened the fall while Izuku, after two somersaults in mid-air, landed gracefully and without suffering any damage before running off down the alley.

_I really have to thank Rey Mysterio for making me copy his hurricanrana, otherwise I would never have been able to do such a thing! The next time I go to his gym I will offer him a drink!_

He kept running, constantly changing direction, for at least an hour until he managed to reach the apartment building where he lived. Looking around before entering, Izuku ran up the stairs and entered his house before locking the door. In what could only be defined as an adrenaline rush, he took off all the equipment before hiding it under his bed and, after putting the sweatshirt and trousers in the washing machine, threw himself in the shower.

When he felt the cold water running down his skin, Izuku let out a shaky breath before resting his forehead against the wall. The events of the last hour were finally registered in his mind and his legs gave out, but the boy did not notice "I fought against Ingenium...I fought against a hero..."

He stood in the shower for at least an hour, still thinking about his stupid actions. If he hadn't had the brilliant idea of going for a jog to get used to his equipment, by this time he wouldn't have the anxiety of being arrested at any moment. Most likely, police and heroes would start patrolling his area for security reasons and he was certain that some Quirks would be enough to trace him, maybe someone with a hound's nose.

Shaking his head, Izuku finished washing his hair and stepped out of the shower, wearing a pair of pants and a short-sleeved shirt "Needless to think about it...I just hope they don't find me."

Eating a light breakfast, Izuku put some things away at home before going out for a walk and taking some fresh air. He knew that going out again, after what happened, was risky, but staying indoors was an equally bad idea, especially for his mental health. Among other things, he realized he was left without sugar, so a walk to the store could actually help him calm down and think of something else.

When he arrived at the shop, he greeted Koichi as if nothing had happened and went to get sugar, but when it was time to pay, the cashier had the brilliant idea of playing with Izuku's nerves.

"Neh Midoriya, do you know the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?" Izuku nodded and, in order not to make his friend suspicious, told him everything he knew about the pro-hero, leaving nothing out and Koichi nodded to his explanation with a smile "Well, I know it sounds crazy, but he and I are jogging friends, so to speak!"

_You don't say._

"This morning I was running with him and at one point he saw a suspicious individual, dressed completely in black, and told him to stop for a control. I said maybe that guy was training, but Ingenium explained to me that guy was dressed in a way that was too sophisticated to be a simple runner. He even had a metal mask!" said Koichi, unaware of Izuku's nervousness "Now comes the most incredible part! That guy tried to run away and when Ingenium chased him, that guy managed to beat him with only one move by dropping him into a rubbish bin!"

"Really? He beat a hero like Ingenium so easily?" asked Izuku pretending to be surprised and, luckily for him, Koichi wasn't the smartest person in the world.

"Yep! Well technically Ingenium was still awake and he wasn't injured, but some rubbish got into the mufflers on his elbows at the time of the crash and he wasn't able to chase him right away." said Koichi with a light chuckle "He also confided to me that he will not try to flush him out."

"What?" now Izuku was really surprised "Why?"

Koichi shrugged "From what he told me, he doesn't think that guy was a bad person. When he threw him to the ground he aimed precisely at the bin with more garbage so as not to hurt him, so Ingenium decided to let him go, but if he saw him again he would immediately try to catch him."

_Thanks for the warning. I will have to be much more careful from now on._ Izuku paid for the sugar and went to the exit after saying goodbye to his friend, who stopped him before he could leave.

"I almost forgot! Would you like to have his autograph? I told him about you and he said he'd like to meet a nice guy like you, especially if you're a fan of him!" asked Koichi with a huge smile and Izuku had to resist the urge to correct him, especially regarding the part about the 'nice guy'.

"Of course I'd love to have his autograph! He's one of my favorite heroes after all!" Izuku nodded with a forced smile but Koichi didn't seem to notice and, after promising to get the autograph, he let him go home.

The return journey was completely uneventful and when Izuku finally managed to sit on the sofa in the living room, he could only wonder how messed up his life had become.

He had no idea.

* * *

1st October 2185

A week had passed since his fight with Ingenium and nothing had happened. Izuku had gone out twice more with all the equipment, this time at night, but he hadn't met anyone and had had the chance to train properly. Obviously he had always paid attention to where he was going and, very subtly, he had obtained information from Koichi concerning Ingenium. He was sorry to use his friend that way, but he didn't want to take any more risks, since Ingenium was much stronger than him.

Sipping his coffee, Izuku went to sit at his desk. It was early morning and both the dojo and the hospital were off limits, albeit for different reasons, so he decided to go to the dark web to check if there were any jobs suitable for him. However, a few seconds after his log-in, a message arrived.

_**ES**: Buenos dias, señor D. I'd like to talk about business with you._

Izuku stared at his computer screen with a raised eyebrow. Spanish? Mexican? He had no idea, but answering the message cost nothing.

_**D**: What kind of business?_

_**ES**: The type that will earn you a lot of money. My muchachos and I have just arrived in Japan and we have an agreement with some Yakuza groups not to kill each other, but we are still inexperienced with the place and, although we will only be here temporarily, we would like someone who could give us accurate information on the most famous héroes of the your country._

_In other words, nothing new._

_**D**: I can help. What kind of information do you want?_

_**ES**: All the ones you can give us, and I would like you to tell us verbally. While I trust this dark web, I trust even more when I hear someone speak and I can tell if they're lying or not._

Izuku narrowed his eyes. _If he contacted me it means that he knows about the accuracy of my information...however he must be someone very paranoid, and even powerful if he has won an agreement from the Yakuza groups left in Japan._

_**D**__: How much money?_

When he saw the long series of numbers, he almost spit the coffee on the screen. All that money was more than enough to cover the hospital's costs for the coming months, and someone was ready to give them away for some information? The offer was good, too good, but Izuku could not afford to miss such an opportunity.

_**D: **We have a deal. Where do you want the meeting to take place?_

That evening, Izuku was watching from a distance a series of warehouses in the port. From what he could see, they were almost abandoned, or in any case left out of use, yet every now and then he happened to see shapes dressed in white, even for a few moments. As far as he was informed, the newly arrived group from Mexico would have stopped here in Japan for only a few months and had obtained 'special permits' to stay in those warehouses.

Ignoring how they got those permits, Izuku walked towards the main entrance, adjusting the hood and the metal mask. He knew he was taking a big risk, but with that money he could help his mother and take it easier for a few months, trying to have a normal life. When he was finally in front of a metal door, he beat his fist against it three times and, after a few seconds of waiting, a male voice, with a clearly foreign accent, said "For we are wed to death from the moment we are born..."

"...and we must come to love her more than we love our lives." Izuku concluded the second part of the password with a calm voice, ignoring the macabre theme, and then waited for the door to be opened, showing a young man with a goatee dressed as a cowboy, with a surprised expression on his face.

"You're D?"

"Yes." nodded Izuku, trying in every way to mask his agitation "Can we start?"

"Oh sure sure, nice outfit by the way! I like that mask!" nodded the man with a grin "You can call me La Plaga!"

"A pleasure." as soon as Izuku had stepped over the threshold of the door, he saw at least six men dressed in white clothes and assault rifles held in their hands. Those weren't classic villains. Terrorists maybe? Or the equivalent of the Yakuza in Mexico? Izuku didn't know, but still followed La Plaga right into the main warehouse where he saw other men in white and, sitting on a big armchair, a bald and muscular man who made him shiver with a single glance. He was definitely big and wore a black suit, but the thing that was most noticeable were the tattoos that covered his head and face, leaving immaculate a part of the face that formed a cross, and Izuku also noticed the S and the B tattooed on his cheeks.

"Good evening, señor D. I'm glad to be able to meet you in person." said the man standing up and only then did Izuku realize how tall he really was. He shook Izuku's hand in greeting before he sat down again "I hope not to offend you when I say that I was expecting someone more...different."

"Unfortunately this is the way I look, I am sorry not to live up to expectations but I am counting on making you change your mind with my information." said Izuku before taking the backpack from his back and opening it, showing a small projector "Do you want to get started right away, Mr...?"

"My name is El Sueño, leader of the Santa Blanca." said the bald man with a firm voice "And yes, we can start right away."

Nodding, Izuku positioned the projector and activated it, illuminating one of the warehouse walls, while La Plaga and the various men present approached El Sueño to hear the information better.

After a deep breath, Izuku pulled out a remote control and, at the touch of a button, an image appeared on the wall "This is Gang Orca, current number Ten among the pro-heroes. As you can see from his appearance and his name, he is a kind of humanoid killer whale. He is currently one of the physically strongest heroes in Japan, being able to lift entire trucks without getting tired, and he is one of the few to have a big advantage in the water. His is a mutant type Quirk that guarantees him all the abilities of a killer whale, such as the ability to use an organic sonar and is able to generate hypersonic waves that can paralyze his enemies. He's also extremely durable and is one of the few heroes who doesn't disdain excessive use of force to win." Izuku took a little break observing his audience and was pleased that many of them were impressed with his info.

"Does that mean he is vulnerable to electricity?" asked a man with yellow teeth.

"In water, yes, but on land he is vulnerable to electricity like any other person, but his biggest weakness is dehydration. He always carries bottles of water with him to hydrate his skin, and it is likely that fire-base Quirks can be a big drawback for him." explained Izuku with a nod before resuming with more information about Gang Orca.

The minutes became hours as Izuku analyzed and talked about each of the top ten Japanese heroes, answering the occasional questions, and by the time he finished with Hawks, everyone present was more than impressed with his work.

"The next one is the Flame Hero: Endeavor, he's the number Two among the pro-heroes. He has one of the most powerful Quirks of all heroes and he can control it almost perfectly. His flames can also melt steel and it has been confirmed that he can make his flames turn blue, thereby increasing their temperature and their destructive power. His physical strength is also to be taken into consideration and he can fight both in close combat and with long range attacks, besides the fact that he has several attacks with a large area of effect." he showed them some images taken from the dark web "As you can see, even attacks based on water, earth, ice and electricity are of no use against his control of the flames. Since becoming a pro-hero he has never lost, just like All Might."

"Mierda. How do we beat someone like that?" murmured La Plaga with many nodding at him.

"You can't, or at least you need a good plan. Facing him when he is alone could be a good tactic, but at the same time it would allow him to use more power without having to hold back." Izuku shrugged "I don't know your goals, but it's easy to find out what areas are patrolled by the various heroes, so you should be able to avoid them all if you want." he then clicked the button on the remote control again and the projector showed the image of a blond man as he smiled.

Izuku felt himself struggling to talk about his idol to a group of criminals, yet he had devised a very simple plan: he would simply tell them all the information that were easily obtainable about the blond pro-hero, without adding any of his ideas or speculations. After all he was the best Japanese hero and no one ever managed to defeat him. They would never have guessed his intentions.

"As many of you will know, this is All Might, the best hero Japan can offer. Nothing is known of his Quirk, except that it could be some form of physical enhancement. In many videos and images he can be seen bleeding, so he can be injured but the limit of his strength is not known. He has a long series of attacks, many of them at a distance, and he is capable of moving at superhuman speeds, surpassing even heroes like Ingenium, who focus on speed. Unfortunately this is all I know about him, even looking at the dark web I haven't been able to find more information about him, except that, apparently, his teacher died before he arrived in America." said Izuku with a worried voice "If the old information is reliable, his teacher was a woman and was killed by a villain called All For One."

"All For One?" repeated someone in the crowd.

"Yes. Apparently he's a big shot in the underworld and has managed to limit the information about him even in the dark web. All that is known about him is not taken into great consideration since they are mostly stories, many of them obviously exaggerated."

El Sueño's various subordinates began to talk to each other while Izuku turned off the projector, then going to deliver a USB stick to the leader of the group "In this key there are different information on other heroes too, unfortunately on some of them I couldn't get much but these info should help you. There are also detailed maps on the areas patrolled by each hero."

The man showed a small smile "I'm definitely impressed with your work, señor D. You earned this money." he then made a hand gesture to one of his subordinates who had two metal suitcases with him, but before he could execute the order, screams were heard outside and two of his comrades were thrown into the warehouse from one of the windows, which shattered, scattering shards of glass on the floor. All around Izuku, everyone took up a weapon except El Sueño, but a black blur came in through the window and, before they could fire, most of their guns were cut in half, while others were thrown to the ground, unconscious.

"It seems that the tip was correct. Drug traffickers have actually settled in the port." said a male voice and Izuku, turning quickly towards the origin of the voice, saw a man wearing black hakama pants and the upper part of his body covered with black fur except for the fingers of his hands.

"Kesagiriman?!"

Said hero looked at him "Oh, so you know me?"

"Who is he? Some famous hero?" asked La Plaga pointing his machine gun at the hero.

"He's ranked Forty-five and prefers melee combat. His arms can cut everything, as long as he moves them diagonally, besides his fur protects him from the cold, small caliber ammunition and also many attacks with blades, and he is extremely fast." explained Izuku without losing sight of Kesagiriman.

The pro-hero tilted his head to the side "You know a lot about me, and your accent is definitely Japanese. Are you a villain looking for easy money? From what I know, information are worth a lot in the underworld."

Izuku didn't answer but nothing changed because La Plaga and the drug traffickers who still had a weapon started shooting at the hero who avoided all the bullets by running in the middle of wooden crates before jumping towards them, managing to knock off a large part of those men. Kesagiriman then turned to Izuku, La Plaga and El Sueño, who had pulled out a revolver from his suit, and ran towards them.

La Plaga was the closest and, with a rapid movement of the arm, the hero cut the machine gun in half before striking him with a kick in the belly, making him fall to the ground. Kesagiriman then turned to Izuku to knock him out but, much to his surprise, the hooded boy had already approached and tried to punch him in the face. The hero easily avoided the blow with a side step, but Izuku turned the punch into a side karate chop that managed to hit Kesagiriman in the head, making him momentarily lose his balance. The hero tried to react with an uppercut, but Izuku easily dodged it before hitting him in the chest with a palm stroke.

Kesagiriman soon found himself in trouble because, whatever attack he tried, he couldn't surprise his opponent. It was as if that hooded boy could foresee his moves and, strange as it may have seemed, he seemed to adapt to his fighting style. The pro-hero tried another series of attacks, but Izuku managed to avoid most of them, blocking those that were too fast and Kesagiriman had to acknowledge it: even though he was smaller, his opponent was definitely strong.

On the other hand, Izuku's mind was working overtime to think of a winning tactic against the hero. The young student had put aside the guilt of fighting again against a pro-hero because the situation was much more serious than with Ingenium, and he was unconsciously staking everything on the fact that Kesagiriman would never use his Quirk to hurt him. However, the fight had been going on for several minutes, and he hadn't yet managed to score a decisive blow.

_His fur probably protects him from the impact of my blows, which greatly limits my possibilities. Fortunately, I'm copying all his movements and I'm already used to his fighting pace, but if I can't hit him he'll defeat me when I run out of energy._

Deciding to use the ace up his sleeve, Izuku gave a flick of his wrist and the hidden blade of his right arm slipped out of its compartment and, when Kesagiriman tried to grab him, Izuku aimed to his hand with an uppercut, managing to pierce the palm of the hero's hand while the man grunted in pain by taking a few steps back.

_Good! The lunges work on him, now I just have to try to aim at his feet and-!_

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the warehouse walls, stunning Izuku while his eyes widened in shock as he saw a red flower bloom on Kesagiriman's chest.

Two more shots followed the first and two more flowers bloomed on the pro-hero's chest, shedding blood on the ground and even staining Izuku's face.

Trembling, Izuku turned slightly and saw El Sueño with the revolver pointed at Kesagiriman, the barrel of the weapon still smoking.

A strangled sound brought his attention back to the hero, who vomited a large amount of blood, staggering forward and Izuku unconsciously stepped forward as well, in order to grab him before he fell to the ground. Despite the sense of numbness and confusion he felt at that moment, Izuku laid the hero on the ground with extreme caution and Kesagiriman grabbed his sweatshirt, trying desperately to speak, but all that came out of his mouth was more blood.

The hero trudged for several seconds, but eventually his grip on the sweatshirt became weaker and weaker, until he let go of it completely and his heart stopped beating.

Kesagiriman was dead.

Dead in the arms of Izuku.

The silence around him was almost deafening, yet Izuku didn't care. His eyes were focused exclusively on the hero's body in front of him and nothing else. Izuku didn't even notice the noise of vehicles that stopped outside the warehouse before the door was opened. A man with a mulatto complexion, almost as big as El Sueño, entered along with other soldiers from the Santa Blanca, bringing with them some Yakuza covered with bruises and their hands blocked by handcuffs.

"Oye hermano! You missed all the fun!" said La Plaga getting to his feet as the newcomer threw a pair of Yakuza to the ground.

"Sorry for the delay, El Sueño. These ratas had hidden themselves well."

"Don't blame yourself, El Muro. Our friend here took care of the hero who came to stop us." said the bald man with a small smile before looking at the Yakuza on the ground "So not only did you want to try to attack us by yourself, but you also warned a hero of our position. And I thought you still had honor in you." the Yakuza tried to spit at him, but El Muro kicked him in the mouth "If I'm right you like to cut the fingers of those who make mistakes, I'm sure you'll get along with my friend La Plaga."

"Oh yes, we will become great amigos!" grinned La Plaga before signaling some soldiers to take the Yakuza out, following them once they had left.

El Muro then looked at Izuku, still on the ground near the corpse of Kesagiriman "What's wrong with him?"

"He's really young, in my opinion he is not even eighteen and has just seen a hero die in front of him. I also bet it was the first time he saw anyone die." explained El Sueño looking at the young boy as well. When El Muro asked him if that kid was 'D', he nodded.

"And the information you wanted?"

"El señor D was very professional, he even gave me a USB stick with the data of several heroes. He carried out the task to the best of his abilities." said El Sueño.

El Muro nodded before lifting Izuku and taking him out, noting how the boy was not resisting. When he was near a dock, he took a bucket full of sea water and, after removing the glasses and mask from Izuku's face, dipped his head in the bucket, holding it under water. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then Izuku began to struggle, trying to take his head off the bucket and El Muro let him go.

With a loud gasp, Izuku fell to the ground trying to catch his breath but two strong hands grabbed his shoulders and a man's face appeared in front of him "Kid, look at me. Look. At. Me." Izuku looked him straight in the eye, unable to react in any way "I want you to take deep breaths now. Come on, make one."

Izuku took a deep breath. He was by the sea, the smell of salt and fish should have invaded his nostrils, yet what he smelled was gunpowder and blood.

He looked up, hoping to see the moon shining in the night sky, but all he saw was Kesagiriman's face as the light in his eyes grew weaker and weaker.

His body was shaken by spasms and, freeing himself from El Muro's grip, he ran to the edge of the dock and emptied his stomach into the sea. The gagging didn't stop even when he no longer had anything inside him and the tears ran down his cheeks without brakes. Shaking his head, Izuku looked for his reflection in the water, to be able to observe his own face.

Kesagiriman's dead eyes stared back at him.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the night air.

* * *

"How is he?"

El Muro looked at his younger brother, La Plaga, and shrugged "I don't know. After he passed out, he started getting restless in his sleep and calmed down just a few minutes ago."

"Damn, pobre muchacho, not the best of experiences. Even my first killing wasn't so brutal."

"I killed the hero, not him." noted El Sueño walking toward them "He just had the misfortune of being right in front of that hero when I pulled the trigger."

Before La Plaga could reply, the door to the room where they had left Izuku opened and the boy came out with the mask and glasses back on his face.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, señor D. How are you feeling?" asked El Sueño with a calm voice.

"Fine."

_He's lying._ The three adults thought the same thing at the same time, but no one said anything and so El Sueño led him back to the main warehouse, where some soldiers from the Santa Blanca greeted and complimented him on his fight with Kesagiriman. Izuku ignored those compliments and wounded himself in front of El Sueño while the others watched the scene. The bald man picked up two metal briefcases and handed them to the boy.

"This is the money I promised you for your work, plus an extra for helping us with that hero." Izuku winced slightly but said nothing as he looked at the money inside the briefcases when two soldiers opened them for him. El Sueño then took a small black fabric bag and approached the boy "This, however, is my personal gift for having assisted us in this land, foreign and cruel. A symbol of respect in the eyes of the Santa Blanca, as well as in the eyes of our Dama Oscura, the Santa Muerte."

Izuku cautiously took the bag and pulled out a white mask representing a human skull. He looked at it carefully and then, without even thinking about it, he removed the glasses and the metal mask from his face, they had already seen him in the face and frankly he didn't care, before wearing that new mask. Unbeknownst to him, some of the soldiers of the Santa Bianca couldn't hold back a shudder when they saw him, dressed in black, with a hood and a skeletal mask. He looked like the messenger of the Santa Muerte.

After a few seconds of silence, Izuku bowed slightly "Thank you."

El Sueño nodded before gesturing toward his bodyguard "El Muro will accompany you to your area, from where you can then return home. It would hurt me to know that you failed to return home and in your current conditions is more than likely a possibility."

Izuku nodded, having barely heard his words and, after another bow, left the warehouse with El Muro who made him board a black SUV. After asking him about the area where he had to take him, the man started driving in absolute silence. The journey took a few minutes and finally he stopped the vehicle in a deserted area. Izuku said goodbye after thanking him and left the SUV, walking towards his house with his eyes fixed on the ground.

El Muro watched him walk away for a few seconds before shaking his head and driving away from there. The last thing they needed was to be seen by some citizen who would then alert the police and El Muro already had too many problems.

Back with Izuku, the young boy didn't even notice that he had reached his apartment and, when the door closed behind him, he dropped the briefcases and his backpack to the floor, walking towards the bathroom.

His gauntlets fell to the floor, splintering the wooden planks.

The right boot ended up near the kitchen entrance while the left one slumped onto the carpet near the living room.

The pants were thrown over the edge of the bathroom while the sweatshirt was badly hung on the door handle.

The bulletproof vest fell to the ground with a thud in front of the bathtub, along with socks and boxers.

The skull mask slipped slowly into the sink.

Cold water began to trickle down Izuku's body as he stood in the shower, unresponsive. His chest rose and fell steadily as his hair covered the eyes. Finally, after ten whole minutes of immobility, Izuku fell to his knees and let himself go.

He started to cry. For a moment he was again a four-year-old kid who had been left alone because of his Quirk. Sobbing, he called his mother's name in vain, knowing she couldn't be there to console him. He stayed there, crying in the shower for hours, until the tears ran out and Izuku could think with a clearer mind.

He still couldn't accept the fact that Kesagiriman had died because of him. Izuku shouldn't have gone to that meeting, he shouldn't have accepted that task...a task he had completed, as usual. And they had even complimented him! But none of them could understand...

_I did it for my mom._ That thought had the effect of a stab in the heart. To keep his mother alive, Izuku had caused the death of a hero. Yet...as much as it was one of the most terrible things he had ever done, if not the most terrible, Izuku couldn't think of things like surrendering to the police or quitting.

_I can't leave my mother alone, I can't lose her..._

The thought of seeing her smile again seemed to give him new strength and, with difficulty, he stood up and walked out of the shower, wiping his hair absently with a white towel. He stopped in front of the mirror above the sink and this time it wasn't Kesagiriman's dead eyes that stared at him, but his own dead eyes. He hardly recognized himself. Taking the skull mask in his hand he put it back on his face, noticing how perfect it was, almost as much as a glove, and the white towel looked almost like a hood, giving to Izuku a much more intimidating air.

After several seconds of observing his reflection, he went to his room and turned on the computer, finding himself in the dark web in a short time.

_**D**: I'd like to change my nickname._

_**Operator**__: Of course. The first change is free. What is the new nickname? Users with whom you have contacts will be informed of your change._

Izuku looked at the mask in his hands again. He could no longer be D. He hadn't even thought about it the first time he had to choose a nickname, but at first his only purpose was to sell information...but now that was no longer his only task. He could fight against heroes on equal terms, he could get information, he could also teach others how to fight and he was sure that, in due time, he would be able to perform all kinds of tasks, and his clientele would increase accordingly, so more money to help his mother.

His gaze shifted to the briefcases full of money he had retrieved near the front door.

A single thought crossed his mind, making him sigh. _Just this once._

_**D**__: My new nickname is..._

* * *

2nd October 2185

"So you don't know if your husband had received any tips." asked the detective Tsukauchi, sitting in front of a woman with long black hair and eyes full of tears.

She shook her head "I don't know...l-last night he w-was off duty, but t-then he saw s-s-something on his cell phone a-and...and then he ran upstairs, put his costume on and went o-out." the woman sobbed again "Then a colleague o-of my husband called me this m-morning and t-told me that...he told me t-that..."

Unable to restrain herself, the woman burst into tears, sobbing violently and the detective put his hand on her shoulder, giving his condolences again. After telling two policemen, stationed outside the living room, to keep their eyes open, he came out of the house where the hero Kesagiriman lived. Or at least where he lived before he was brutally killed.

"Got anything?" asked his colleague, waiting for him near their car.

Naomasa shook his head "He was at home, he saw something on his cell phone and then he ran away after putting on his costume. Most likely he received a tip as we had assumed."

The detective Tanema sighed but before he could say anything, another police car arrived and after stopping by them, a cat-headed policeman came out of the passenger side.

"Officer Tamakawa? What are you doing here?" asked Naomasa with an arched eyebrow.

"Sir! A few hours ago these two metal cases were handed over to the police station. They were addressed to Kesagiriman's family, so we analyzed them but we found no traces of drugs, explosives or even fingerprints. They are clean." said Sansa with a nod, before handing him one of the briefcases.

Naomasa picked it up and opened it, being shocked by the contents.

"Holy shit! That's a lot of money!" said Tanema with incredulous eyes.

His colleague could only nod and, after closing it, Naomasa opened the other, finding the same amount of money plus a folded piece of paper. Confused, he picked up the piece of paper and opened it.

"I don't deserve this money, they didn't pay me to kill Kesagiriman. His family will need it most, especially his pregnant wife..."

Tanema and Sansa looked at him with shocked and confused eyes until the former said "It's from his killer?!"

"Seems like that..." Sansa looked at the piece of paper "Is it signed...?"

Looking in the bottom right corner, Naomasa saw that his finger was covering one word "Yes..."

Removing the finger, he read the word aloud and, for some strange reason, he felt uncomfortable upon hearing that name.

"Taskmaster."

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

* * *

**And another one! BANG! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and I apologize for the delay but I had a lot to do in the last period (besides writing more fic coff coff)! I also hope that the chapter (longer than the previous one) was not too heavy, I didn't really know what to write and in the end I put in a lot of ideas.**

**There are several easter eggs in this chapter, can you find them all?**

**In this chapter we saw an Izuku during its first steps in the criminal world, in addition to the simple trade of information. In the next few chapters there will be other tasks for him and his character will be slowly forged into something more than just a boy. Meanwhile, congratulations to the guest Salazar for having guessed the Quirk of Izuku while, for those who hoped/thought to see Izuku struggling with the UA...well I'm sorry, but that's a big no. With Inko still in the hospital, he has no time to waste in a school like that.**

**And that's it, I really hope you'll review this chapter and favorite/follow the story!**

**See you around!**


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